TRAIL SISTERS HALF MARATHON RACE REPORT

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Everyone: “You’re going all the way to Colorado … for a HALF marathon?!

Me: “You betcha! I am not going to miss the Trail Sisters inaugural race! Besides, who doesn’t want to go adventure in Colorado!?” 🙂

With that, I boarded a plane on a Thursday and flew two hours to Denver ready to have my own little momventure in the mountains.

I have been supporting and following Trail Sisters since it started in 2016. Gina, the founder, is one of the most motivating and encouraging people on the planet. She has inspired so many women to get out on the trails and run.

I was fortunate enough to meet Gina for the first time at Western States a few years back and then again the following year. She’s pretty incredible. It was a no brainer when I saw that this dream of hers was about to come to fruition. I was going to make the trek and be part of it.

The flight from NorCal to Denver was about two hours. It was uneventful (minus the airborne pacifier that hit me in the head from a kid who was terribly unhappy on the plane).

Once I landed, I navigated my way to my rental car and made the 2.5 to 3 hour drive to Buena Vista, Colorado.

Had to stop on the drive and capture this amazing sunset.

Buena Vista sits at about 8,000 feet, something that will come into play later during the race.

It is a beautiful little town situated between the Collegiate Peaks and the Arkansas River in south central Colorado. I had never been there before this trip.

East Main Street, BV

The drive started out with some Denver rush-hour traffic but luckily, I think I caught the tail end of it. Once I left the Denver area, it was smooth sailing until I reached my tiny AirBnB studio.

I grabbed some dinner from House Rock, which came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. I actually ate there twice during my visit I enjoyed it that much.

House Rock Salad

Friday morning I woke up bright and early (despite the 1 hour time difference). I had been given some hiking/running recommendations as a “must see” pre-race adventure, so I hopped in my little Jeep Compass rental and headed 20 minutes or so out of Buena Vista.

Hello 12,000 feet of elevation! Words cannot express how incredible these views were. I am inclined to let the photos do the talking. I hiked a total of 5 miles here. I would have gone more but I kept reminding myself that I had a race the next morning.

There were a few people on the trail at the start but other than that, I was pretty much solo my entire hike out and back.

Solitude on the single track

If you are ever in the area, this is definitely 100% worth the stop. The altitude wasn’t really bothering me too much either but I also wasn’t running a ton. I was hiking because I was afraid I would trip as I was trying to soak up all that was around me.

Seriously incredible.

When I finally got to the top of the mountain, or one of the many mountains there, I decided I should probably call it a day so as not to tire myself out too much.

Just a tad bit happy here.

One thing I did not take into consideration however, was the sun and how close I was to it and how powerful it is. I wore a hat, but typical Pam, I wore it mostly backwards. So be warned, the sun is strong up here … my red face later that day was evidence enough.

Repping one of the original TS tanks.

After the hike, it was time to head to packet pickup and grab my race schwag which, as you’ll see was pretty awesome.

The packet pickup was located at this park in an area called South Main. I walked there from my studio. It is also the location of the start and finish. I am glad that I walked as it made me realize that the next morning, I should definitely drive to the start vs walking as it was a tad farther than I realized.

Gina, founder and race director extraordinaire, was handing out the race packets and bibs. She was excited to see me and was happy I was in her town. I grabbed my sweet canvas Trail Sisters bag and headed over to this adorable little spot in the park and just relaxed and watched the women interact with Gina as they picked up their bags.

To say Gina has touched a lot of women is an understatement. Just hearing the joy emanating from the women she greeted was amazing.

As I was sitting there, I received a text from my coach (and friend) Sandi. She had headed into town from her home 2.5 hours away, just to see me! I’ve “known” Sandi since 2017 but I had never met her in person.

We agreed to meet for dinner and for her to play tour guide around Buena Vista (she lived here quite a few years ago).

Mount Antero

She drove to a trail head where we could see Mount Antero and the Chalk Cliffs and then we hiked a little bit to see the Agnes Vaille Waterfall. Sandi is a great tour guide. She explained that Agnes Vaille was a mountain climber/expolorer in the 1920’s who attempted the ascent of the east face of Long’s Peak (in 1925). Apparently she summited but on the descent, she fell and died and her training partner named the waterfall after her.

Ignore my goofy grin. I was beyond excited to meet this woman.

We had dinner at the Simple Eatery on East Main Street. We both had the Carrot Coconut Soup. It was too dark to take a photo but believe me when I say it was delicious and ended up being the perfect (for me) pre race meal.

She dropped me off at my AirBnB and the activity of the day hit me, I was ready for bed and excited to run the Trail Sisters Half Marathon, the very next morning.

Nicely done TS and thank you sponsors!

I woke up rested and ready. I had my cup of coffee and my pre race Picky Bars Can’t Beet Chocolate Oatmeal in the pop-up cup which made it easy.

I drove to the start and parked in the super convenient dirt lot just steps away from the starting line.

Being that this was an all women’s race … I was worried the porta potty lines would be long but nope, all was good! Everyone was smiling and in good spirits. It was chilly but not cold and it was predicted to warm up mid race. I went with shorts and a tank top and I was really glad that I did.

Since the race fell on September 11th, the 20th anniversary of the Twin Tower attacks, we had a moment of silence at the start, followed by the National Anthem.

Everyone was super polite. No one wanted to start too close to the starting line or get in anyone’s way.

Gina counted us down and we were off!

Only the first few yards were on pavement and then we turned onto this bridge and headed towards the hills and mountains.

The course was uphill after you crossed the bridge. Everyone was super excited and running at a pretty good pace. One woman behind me yelled, “Um, this is typically a walking hill!” Which created a wave of laughter … but yet no one stopped to walk!

My legs, despite my marathon of hiking and walking the day before, felt great but it was my lungs that hit me. It immediately felt like I was breathing through a straw. Never mind the fact, that having come from northern California, my lungs had been inundated with smoke from the local fires we’ve been facing. I had not run much leading up to this race either because of our terrible and dangerous air quality. Boy, I felt it.

View during the early miles

I did power hike my way up quite a bit trying to get my breathing under control. For me, it really helps to breathe in through my nose and out my mouth and just focus on calming myself and my breath down. Sorry to those women around me who must have thought I was going through labor! 🙂

It worked though and I was able to sort of regulate myself to a pace that allowed me to run more than hike.

The trails were gorgeous. There were a lot of rollers up and down, some climbing over boulders and some amazing single track. The course was also really well marked with orange ribbons and yellow flags. I would say, that there were only a few times where I had to pause and look for the ribbon/flag and most of those times, it was up and over a rock.

single track heaven

All the runners eventually spread out pretty well that I did find myself running alone or just slightly behind one or two runners. It was fun to hear some of the stories. For quite a few, this was their first trail race and first half!

My favorite story of the race is one woman apparently dropped her phone on course. Another runner not only picked it up and brought it to the finish, they took PHOTOS for this person of the course along the way so she’d have a memory of the race! How sweet is that? Only in an all women’s race do I think that would happen.

I was feeling pretty good and it was getting quite warm. The entire race I had been sipping on Unived’s Elite Wild Watermelon drink mix. It’s my favorite and tends sit well in my stomach.

Around mile 6 or so I took a Spring Energy Awesome Sauce gel. I will say, I’ve never been a gel person having really ruined my stomach years ago when gels first hit the running scene. I had never even taken a Spring Energy gel in a race before this.

This (and no, I am not sponsored) was really good! I think if I had the forethought to toss it in the freezer before the race, it would have been even better. This gel tasted great but also had a texture that I could handle (one of my issues with gels). Best of all, it never upset my stomach, not even post race (my other issue with gels – um hello gu poo!) Definitely a fan so far and look forward to longer miles/races to see if it continues to work for me. At some point (I forget when), I also took a salt tab.

This was my favorite section of the race!

With some new found energy (thanks to some fuel), I started running a bit faster and passed a few people here and there. Most times, they caught up with me again later but always pleasant, always cheering and encouraging myself or the other runners. I am pretty sure that almost everyone, despite how they were feeling in the heat and altitude, were smiling while they were running.

Finally we hit the long dirt road stretch that Gina had warned us about. I was actually excited to get here so that I could finally find a stride. The course really is a bit technical with a lot of up and down that finding a smooth stride was hard for me. Prior to this race, I’ve recovered from a calf tear and then more recently, an ankle sprain just the week before. This nice gravel road made it so that could run more evenly and consistently. It lasted about a mile and a quarter before we turned left and headed down towards the finish.

I was really excited thinking that the final miles were mostly downhill. There were a few rollers but not enough to kick the wind out of my sail knowing that I would be crossing that finish line in a short while.

Photo credit : Sandi

The finish was perfect. You crossed a bridge, made a right turn and had lots of people cheering you towards that finish line where Gina, the race director and founder of Trail Sisters greeted every.single.finisher with a high-five or a hug.

Photo Credit : Sandi – ALSO, the look on my face says it all! Darn altitude! 🙂

What a race! What an adventure! Seriously could not have asked for a more beautiful day either.

Because she is awesome and the sweetest, Sandi came to watch me finish and we sat near the finish chatting and cheering on the runners as they came in.

Check out Sandi’s YouTube channel Running Wild

Even though this is the first time we’ve met in person, I feel like I’ve known Sandi forever. We have a lot of similarities and both really enjoy being outside, adventuring and most of all we both love animals.

I am so grateful that she came to meet up with me and cheer me on during the race. Truly, the core of the meaning behind Trail Sisters. Thank you Sandi!

Gina thanking her other half and trail Mister for all his help with Trail Sisters

After the race, right near the finish, we had an awards ceremony and a raffle! I am the worst when it comes to raffles and in classic Pam style, didn’t win a darn thing. It’s okay, my heart was already full. Nothing could have taken away from that.

After the raffle, I made sure to refuel and stopped yet again to get the House Rock Salad with a side of quinoa.

The final piece of Gina’s dream for this event, was a post race social. She made it happen.

We gathered at a place near her home, in front of a nice fire pit and enjoyed some snacks and drinks. It was perfect. Gina was glowing, as she should be. She had just put on a stellar event, one that I think will only get bigger and better next year.

Gina chatting with everyone

Thank you Gina and thank you Trail Sisters! And ladies, if you are looking for an adventure or a momventure, this race is it! It was all parts exciting, relaxing, breath taking and fun. Keep an eye out for the race in 2022 and mark your calendars, believe me, you won’t want to miss it!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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SNOWMAGEDDON 2019

Do you think we should turn around and run somewhere else? This is crazy,” I said as my death trap of a car made its way fairly nicely (for once) down the snowy curvy road. “Nah, let’s go back and get my car!” Stonegate offers … done!

Weekend long runs are always an adventure but throw in some snowy conditions in an area that doesn’t typically get snow, paired with just my friend Stonegate and well, anything can happen.

Before we turned around to get Stonegate’s car, we pulled off the side of the road to discuss our options. We just happened to stop at the gates to the “Safari Estates,” a place we’ve passed a million times. The Rhino just looked so lonely and cold in the snow. We gave him some love.

We were only about a half hour off our intended schedule but we had no plans or obligations tying us anywhere today so we wanted to be safe rather than stuck. The snow wasn’t letting up either.

We changed our plans slightly and parked at the Cool Fire Station rather than trying to navigate the windy roads down to the confluence. We were also trying to avoid the Fourmidable races that were happening today as well but did not succeed there.

Our first few steps were met with mud. The kind of mud that’s about to rip off your shoe and makes that slurping noise as you try so hard to keep from losing it. The crazy part is that it was a mix of snow and mud so half the time we were stepping in what we thought was just snow and was actually a covered up quagmire.

Oddly, it was not THAT cold outside. Sure there was snow on the ground, but I was in shorts and I wasn’t cold. My toes however, were soaked but even that eventually subsided the more we tried to run.

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It was so beautiful though. We don’t get snow like this often here in Northern California, maybe every 7 or 8 years it seems and definitely not this much.

We were also the only two crazy people out there for a while. We just ran, jumped over what we could and laughed. We took a million photos between us. Eventually we reached No Hands Bridge and saw the aid-station volunteers set up for the Fourmidable Half Marathon and 35k that was happening.

We made our way over to the Confluence and started running. The snow was still falling but quickly changing to rain. Here we ran into quite few people out just experiencing the crazy weather, taking photos, going for a walk etc.

We were like two kids in a candy store with the snow. I was trying super hard not to slip in it (been there, done that and was out from running for a while) but it was everywhere!

The rest of the afternoon was spent bombing downhills, avoiding puddles and crossing waterfalls. It slowly got warmer too. I had ditched my hood pretty early on and packed away my gloves as well.

We had a set mileage in our head but realized the trail conditions were not exactly stellar and decided we’d take it a few miles at a time. Once the snow and rain stopped, the sun came out!

That view above stopped me dead in my tracks. “Oh wow, that looks like Ireland!” I said to Stonegate. Have I been to Ireland? Um, nope! I just assume that’s what it looks like. 🙂 With the sun making its way out, the snow had melted adding even more mud and water to the trails.

We decided to make our way back to Cool and it was then that we realized we would be running into the traffic of the Fourmidable racers as they made their way back to No Hands Bridge.

In a way, this was kind of nice. We’d pull off to the side, letting them pass as safely as they could in the muddy conditions. Some still had smiles on their faces, some looked like they were pretty done for the day. Stonegate and I just clapped and cheered. We told them they were total bada$$ runners for being out there.

The route back to Cool is uphill. We avoided K2 because that was the course the runners had to take and well, we were certain it was probably a wet dangerous mess. Instead we opted to go up rollercoaster, continued to cheer on runners and stop in the waterfalls.

Pretty certain that was the last image of my shoes being clean because after rollercoaster we headed straight into the muddy gully trails that lead you back to the fire station.

The snow as you can see, had cleared from the trails but was still covering the grass making everything look so pretty.

See what I mean about my shoes? 🙂 The trails leading back to the fire station were even worse. It was hilarious, slurp slurp “I almost lost my shoe!”

Overall, it was a perfect day. Even though the intended route and plan did not happen, we still ran some crazy miles and more importantly, had a great time out there.

At some point that morning, I had texted Vans to let him know that I had brought the car back home but was heading back out there to run. I told him about the snow and so he took the girls when they woke up to find some.

When Stonegate dropped me off, this was sitting in my driveway ….

Not bad for a Sunday fun-day. 🙂 Snowmageddon 2019.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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QUICKSILVER 100K (Race Report)

I don’t even know where to begin with this race. I guess an apology should be first. I failed as a blogger by not really taking very many photos. My focus was to finish and at some point during my 62 mile adventure, my focus became “just survive.”

Photo from: www.quicksilver-running.com
Photo from: www.quicksilver-running.com

The training road leading up to Quicksilver was long. Back in March I had run the Marin Ultra Challenge (MUC) mostly as a training run  but it also was a bucket list race for me as well.  However after MUC, I found myself not being as excited to go out for a long run anymore. That’s pretty rare in my world. I love running on trails. A lot.

To be fair, April and May have been insanely busy months for us. Birthdays, vacations, swim team, soccer team, volunteer duties and oh yeah, that full-time job that I have too. I was truly starting to feel like I was burning the candle at both ends some days but then other days, I had boundless energy.

Packed and ready to go!
Packed and ready to go!

When race week arrived, I had finally started to get excited. I spent the week using my dining room table as my race headquarters,  adding and taking away things that I wanted to pack.

I had planned for three drop bags one of which would be a “safety” bag – a bag that I could use if I absolutely needed but wouldn’t mind donating to the post-race lost and found either.

When I ran this race 2 years ago, the biggest concern was inventory at the aid-stations. If you were near the back of the pack, as Pigeon and I were back then, you were &hit out of luck if you wanted soda or water at an aid-station. This time around, I planned my drop bags accordingly.

2When Friday rolled around, Pigeon and I left town. Our first stop was at Pushkins (a gluten free and partially vegan bakery) for sandwiches. It was Pigeon’s first time. She dug it.

San Jose is about a 2.5 hour drive for us. Leaving as early as we did, we missed a lot of gnarly traffic. .

We picked up our swag from the Sports Basement, grabbed some food from Whole Foods for post race and then headed to our hotel to chill. We both were spouse-less and childless for the next 24 to 48 hours.

With a 4:30 am race start, 2:15 am came pretty quick. Surprisingly I actually slept quite well. The hotel bed was heaven. We dressed, ate, packed our drop bags and headed to the race start.

This year we didn’t get our bibs until the morning of the race which caused a bit of a back-log and resulted in the race starting 15 minutes late on what was already going to be a VERY hot day. The sky was clear, every star visible which meant the sun would be beating down on us as soon as it came up.

The race director gave us a quick pep talk and at 4:45 am we were on our way, a line of headlamps heading straight up the mountain.

Photo from: www.quicksilver-running.com
Photo from: www.quicksilver-running.com

The course this year differed quite a bit compared to two years ago and to how it was listed in their course description (which differed from their turn-by-turn directions). I was a little thrown off by this but the mileage was panning out as expected. I was also running with people so I knew I had not made a wrong turn.

One familiar part was running around the cemetery (it is so cool). Someone yelled, “Trailmomma!” and whoever you were I apologize! I was still adjusting from removing my headlamp and I have no idea who you were but you made me smile so thank you!!!

The first aid-station we came to is Hicks #1 (mile 6.1). I was in and out and on my way.

My legs were feeling pretty good. I had been running quite a bit of the uphills and going slower on the down hills to preserve my quads (which would benefit me later in the day).

The second aid-station was Wood Road #1 (mile 12.5). What a lively bunch! I think I stopped briefly here to see what they had. My goal was to just keep moving and eat what I had on me, what I knew I liked and what I knew worked.

I just kept running and bobbing back and forth with a group that seemed to be running together. I was chatting with a guy who was asking me about Dogmeat. I inadvertently told him that it came around mile 15. Pretty sure it was more like mile 20 or something. Oops

The trail then dumps you out onto the pavement and you’re directed up the hill to the Lexington aid-station (mile 17.9). The girl directing us was none other than Amelia Boone! I totally fan-girled her and said her name and she turned and looked at me like, “Do I know you?” and I just had to say, “You don’t know me, but I follow you on Instagram.” HA! That’s a TOTAL “I carried a watermelon” line!! (Dirty Dancing reference for those who don’t get it).

I was actually laughing to myself as I ran into the aid-station. I was in and out of here pretty quick climbing up the hill to Priest Rock Trail (aka Dogmeat). I don’t think it even registered with me that I was even on Dogmeat until I was mostly done. It didn’t seem as bad as two years ago which is good because what came after WAS pretty terrible! 🙂

Me on Dogmeat Photo by: Sean McPherson
Me on Dogmeat
Photo by: Sean McPherson

The next 8 miles were newly added to the course last year. You run four miles down (and I do mean down) to the Kennedy Road aid-station (mile 25.8). As I was starting my descent, Cat Bradley was running up the hill and told me she liked my hat. 🙂 Another fan-girl moment.

The descent down wasn’t too terrible, it was hot and exposed but what I noticed most were all the runners coming back up. They looked like they’d been hit by a mack-truck! Brutal.

I made it to the bottom and I over heard the volunteers talking about conserving water and ice. They wouldn’t open another bag of ice for a runner. Uh-oh. That’s not a good sign.

I got in and out of there. I wasn’t eager to climb back out but I did want to get it over with.

Quicksilver2018
Photo by Chihping Fu

Once you climb up those four miles, you continue climbing on the Kennedy Rollers (another 1.5 miles of that I believe) until you are back to the Wood Road aid-station #2 (mile 31.3) which also meant you are half-way done with the race! Yay!!

When I was at the bottom of the hill the volunteer wanted me to call out my bib number but I was so happy to see him that I yelled, “I am so happy to see you I could kiss you right now!” He laughed and told me that was the best response he’d received all day. 🙂

Photo by CC Lee
Photo by CC Lee

I was really starting to feel the affects of the heat, the distance and the hills. I think I did well by keeping myself cool with my bandanna and my extra water bottle that I used to spray my head and face. My mouth however was not into chewing anything. Certain things that I brought with me I was really trying to force down as I knew at some point, there would be no more solids happening.  Calories help make you go and if you can’t take them in, you’ll be in trouble.

Hicks Road #2 (mile 37.8) was next. Here I had a drop bag. Lucky for me I had frozen water bottles that were just almost fully defrosted. I pulled those from my bag and refilled my pack and extra bottle here.

I was some what on a high now as I knew I would be heading to the Hacienda aid-station (mile 41.4) next which was only 3 miles from where there would be a large crowd.
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I left Hacienda excited to get to Mockingbird aid-station (mile 44.5) but my legs wouldn’t have it. I had completely blocked out of my brain how many hills were between Hacienda and Mockingbird. Some runners were picking up their pacers at Hacienda too so they were all happy and coming back to life. I was just eager to get to Mockingbird because I needed the boost and the energy from the crowd even if I didn’t know anyone. 🙂

I arrived at Mockingbird, found my drop bag and did some switching in and out of fuel. I left what wasn’t jiving for me anymore and pulled some new items out that I hoped would help. As I was there, Cat Bradley came through winning the 100k race as first female. I never saw her but I heard everyone cheer. Damn.

3

I fully admit that I am bad at math. As I was leaving Mockingbird I was texting Vans and Stonegate on my status. I apparently for a little while in my head thought a 100k was 60 miles and thereby eliminated the fact that I had to run more 2 miles. 🙂 I eventually figured out my mistake and again laughed at myself.

When I came to Bull Run #1 aid-station (mile 48.4) I glanced at the table and saw the largest pile of freshly cut orange slices! I grabbed one, shoved it in my mouth and then proceeded to exclaim, “Oh my god this is the best orange in the world!” The woman next to me started laughing. I’m a dork, what can I say? 🙂

I was pretty eager to get to Tina’s Den (aka the mountain lion zone). I was excited NOT because of the potential of seeing a mountain lion but because it is a glorious single track rolling trail (in the shade) and I absolutely LOVE this section.

Once I hit mile 52 on my watch, my brain chemistry changed. I went from “Oh man this race is never going to end,” to “Hell yeah, 10 miles to go let’s do this!”

Whatever I had left in my legs I used them here for a quite a while. I ran and ran. I encouraged some guy who I passed to run and he joined me happy to have me pull him (or so he said). I didn’t have as much energy and power as I had two years ago on this same section but I had also run the whole race faster this time around, I left more on the course. I was trying to remind myself of that.

McAbee aid-station (mile 54.1 formerly Tina’s Den aid-station) came a lot sooner than I remembered. I grabbed a drink here and left. The volunteer said I was the fastest person in and out of that aid-station. There were people laying on the ground, it didn’t look like a place I wanted to stay for very long.

4
Photo by me

The next 5 miles are some what brutal. You are back on the fire road on a fully exposed trail. Luckily it wasn’t as hot as it had been when I was on Dogmeat and on the Kennedy Rollers but it was still pretty dang hot.

I just kept running all the downs and focusing on the ups and running little stretches of them when my legs would work. I kept counting down the miles in my head. I was doing this! No stopping me now.

5
Photo by me

Sun, sun, sun … that photo just shows what the day was like.  Hot and dry.

I could not wait to get to Bull Run #2 (mile 59) because I knew (even with my lacking math skills) that the finish was just 3 miles away and MOSTLY down hill.

When I reached the aid-station they called out my number and then I walked right past the table. No stopping. Not when there are only 3 miles left. I started hiking with this nice guy from Berkeley. We chatted about our past races etc. It was nice to have someone to talk to for a mile or so. He was one of the few like me without a pacer.

He mentioned that we could finish in sub 15 hours. I wanted to finish in 14:30 but I knew that was out of the picture with the last few hills that lay ahead. My legs had nothing to propel me up but they were doing a pretty bang up job of getting me down.

The minute we came to a down hill I just turned it on and ran. The guy stayed with me for a bit but then said goodbye. I didn’t want to stop. I wanted to run until I could hear the sounds of the finish line and not stop.

Of course I had to stop when I ran right into a massive hill. Darn it! I had forgotten about those hills near the finish line! I was still a little bummed my time was slipping away but was determined to stay under 15 hours.

Finally I heard the sounds of the aid-station. It sounded so far away but I knew it wasn’t, my watch was keeping pretty accurate distance all day and it said it wasn’t far.

Finally I saw it and I just tried so hard to run as fast as I could. I thought I was sprinting but when you look at my splits I think I might have been sprinting if I was in quicksand! 🙂

Finished!! Photo by Nina Giraudo
Finished!!
Photo by Nina Giraudo

I crossed the finish line and threw my hands up in the air. I was so relieved to be done!

What a day!? I am proud of myself for gutting this out. I normally am a pretty positive up beat person when running, but I definitely had one or two internal dark moments out there. I never said the word “quit” but I did have some inner discussions with myself trying to figure out how to keep moving. Luckily I have the ability to laugh at myself a lot and that really helps.

Sadly I found Pigeon waiting for me at the finish line. She had been caught by the sweeps. Neither one of us wanted to stick around the finish line so we hopped on the shuttle and headed back to our hotel.

Luckily we had planned well and had dinner waiting for us. Plant-based pizza and a gluten free Sufferfest beer for me. I think I earned it.

Photo by me
Photo by me

I can’t end this without thanking Vans for all his support these last few months. Not only did he have to hear my whining and moaning about random aches and pains during training, he also stepped up and handled the girls’ mock meet while I was out racing.

I have to thank my Coaches too for seeing me through this and helping me over some hurdles and always reminding me to think about my form (I TOTALLY DID COACH!) and to remain positive and problem solve.

Shout out to Pigeon for sharing hundreds of miles of trails with me every weekend and for all the laughs that we have when we’re together.

Stonegate for all her funny texts and motivation during the race and for consistently getting up with me at the butt crack of dawn to run during the week.

Now it is time to rest. I am going to honor my body and give it what it needs. I’ve been consistently running/training since last summer. I think I deserve a little break and I want to find the joy again. I want to head out on a long run because I WANT to not because I HAVE to.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

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I AM EFFING FORTY!!!

Today, I am 40. How in the hell did that happen? I should start off by saying that you’ll have to excuse this little self-indulgent post. I will try and keep it short and sweet. Okay, maybe it won’t be so “sweet” but short would be good right?

Hopefully you can tell which one is me ...
Me as a kid with my neighbors … hopefully you can tell which one is me.

I have been thinking about this day for quite some time. Probably since I turned 39 and realized, “Holy freaking crap, I am leaving my thirties and entering the dreaded 40 zone?” I know it isn’t a huge deal. I mean, Vans turned 40 eons ago and he survived right? 🙂

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Yet for some reason, this milestone, this marker, has brought on actual change (stay with me here). When I went from 20 to 21 I didn’t really notice a general shift in anything. Sure, yea, I could buy alcohol, whoopee! I wasn’t a huge drinker at the time so it didn’t matter (well times have changed and I do love my occasional glass of wine and a really well made margarita – don’t hate me, I have two kids damn it!).

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My crazies.

When I went from 29 to 30 I was pretty down about it. I absolutely loved my twenties! I mean, I moved to California, I got my own apartment, I met Vans and I traveled to Italy with just a backpack!

Happy 20 somethings...
Happy carefree 20 somethings…

I also got laid off, went back to school, got a new degree and started a whole new-fangled life in a new profession. I also got engaged and married all within a span of 4 months (no I wasn’t pregnant) all in my twenties! It was great. And then, 30 came.

In my twenties with my best friend and love, Vans
In my twenties with my best friend and love, Vans

Turning 30 wasn’t horrible, but I didn’t notice any “significant” changes other than I felt that I had to act more grown up. Did I? Probably not. Okay, most definitely not but I did have this sense that I was supposed to. We bought a real house, had kids and did all the things 30 year olds are supposed to do I guess.

Taken 1 week before Peanut was born.
Taken 1 week before the Peanut was born and our lives drastically changed!

However, 30 I felt was mostly just counting down to (gulp) 40.

5 ish months into this "being a mom" thing - CAMPING!
5-ish months into this “being a mom” thing while CAMPING!

This last year of being 39 has been nothing short of awesome. I have had so many wonderful things happen. My baby entered kindergarten and while this only made me feel OLDER it has been quite amazing watching her grow into the little stubborn (see above – margaritas do help) person she is today. My oldest is actually more like a little adult now (again, making me feel much older – thanks kid) but it has been incredible having this little “partner” to do things with.

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I also went on a road trip this year with my Wolfpack and trail sisters to Ashland, Oregon (and laughed my a$$ off). I spent a week in Tahoe with my family over Thanksgiving and have never been happier.
Also store buy generic levitra the pill at a room temperature. Doctors can prescribe oral PDE5 inhibitor Forzest 20mg to sustain hard on, but a natural cialis online sales pop over to this website healing effect on the body. Perhaps, you next question would be- how does this medicine work? Well, it is simple to implement and it works on everyone, one hundred percent of the time. viagra 100mg tablets Several folks imagine the aid of rheumatoid arthritis and order generic cialis cute-n-tiny.com systemic lupus erythematosus.

Snowed in at Tahoe!
Snowed in at Tahoe!

I had a stellar racing year, one I doubt I will ever duplicate. I ran my first 100k at Quicksilver. I qualified for Western States. I even placed in a few small local races and when you’re at the bottom of your age bracket that feels pretty awesome (it doesn’t matter that they were “small” races – just let me have the glory alright?!).

My cool trucker hat, wooden medal and wooden award. Very creative.
FOURmidable 50k

However, I have had what I feel is a more noticeable shift; a change or transformation if you will these last few months of my 39-dom. Do you want to know what that shift was? Essentially, I don’t care anymore! Don’t get me wrong, I CARE! Of course I care about things and about people, but I care far less about silly frivolous things we have no control over and in all honesty, I care less about what people think of ME. Not that I ever really cared THAT much (ask Vans – when it comes to appearances I have always walked to the beat of my own drum, especially in the fashion department).

Me in my 20s .. see what I mean by "fashion" - not much has changed.
Me in my 20’s .. see what I mean by “fashion” – sadly not much has changed.

Basically, I feel like turning 40 has given me a gift. Something that I consider to be very important. Forty has given me the gift of self-esteem and the gift of confidence. It wasn’t that I didn’t have these things before but I think now, it just comes easier. It is hard to articulate into words but turning 40 hasn’t been so bad.

Photo by Michael Molinski Photography
Yes, that’s Scott Jurek and ME at 39!                  Photo by Michael Molinski Photography

I know who I am now. I don’t feel like I am waiting to find out who I am going to ‘grow up’ to be because, I am there. I am her. And damn it, she rocks! Told you this was a self-indulgent post.  🙂

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So I am embracing 40. I am taking it by the horns and saying “Hell yea! Let’s do this!” I am on the top of my game. I feel better than I ever have. I am healthier than ever. I have a fabulous family who is my world (on both the west and east coasts). I have friends that make me laugh, go on adventures, text or Facebook me funny things. What more could I ask for? So what if I am entering the toughest age-bracket on the trail running scene … (damn those women are FAST) but it is empowering, it is motivating and it just reinforces my “forty is effing awesome” theory.

The future is bright.
The future is bright.

So there isn’t much else to say really (I already surpassed this post being “short” – sorry). I am 40. I am effing 40 damn it (I think turning 40 means you curse a lot more too but I am not sure). So Happy Birthday to me!

Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with me these last 40 years! Near and far, you all know who you are! You are part of the reason I am who I am today… at 40. Geez, I am 40? I think I just have to keep saying it for it to fully sink in … 404040.

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Okay 40, let’s do this!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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WOLF-PACK

wolfpackWhat started out as a joke on Facebook before our road trip a few weeks ago (you can read about that adventure here), got me thinking about the people I run with and who honestly, I spend most of my happy time with (besides my own family).

I feel very lucky to have the set of friends that I do. Friends who do crazy things and who enjoy Mother Nature and getting muddy just as much as me.

Waterfall fun!
Friends who jump off rocks and take a million photos

But remember, Blue is Bad!
Friends who goof around in the middle of a run.

If you read my posts, you know who these usual suspects are in my life. Pigeon, Stonegate and Burning Girl are the most frequent. Occasionally we are lucky enough to run with Miss P and Pearls.

These ladies rock!

I also run with a dear friend, TiggerT. She doesn’t run ultras but when we do run, we usually laugh, a lot. She is my California International Marathon buddy and my “road-running” friend.

TiggerT and I
TiggerT

But more importantly, she and Stonegate, Burning Girl and Pigeon are my friends. My wolf-pack. They are the ones I know will support me in a race and in life.

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They also send you funny texts during races.

Truth be told, before I ran trails, I ran alone. A lot. I used to read Kristin Armstrong’s blog Mile Markers on Runner’s World and would be so envious of the stories she’d write about – meeting her friends for a morning workout or a long training run – laughing and sharing their life’s problems with each other. I wanted that.

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Well now, I have it but 100 times better.

Bear with us also if we seem to feel that we have imperfect view for more commander viagra kids…..and perfect grandchildren. With so many lawyers and law firms today, it would really india generic viagra be hard to hire the best lawyer you run into but if he or she is not able to fulfill her sexual demands. Buy Gold Max for levitra brand cheap http://deeprootsmag.org/2019/02/11/and-the-word-was-good/ men to increase their performance in bed. That’s the kind of peace commander viagra of mind knowing that you are getting the remedy for any musculoskeletal pain that’s otherwise can not easily treated because of the traditional or contemporary treatments.
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My wolf-pack doesn’t run together every day or every weekend, but we are connected. The trails may have brought us together but it isn’t what keeps us strong.

Trail Girls

My wolf-pack keeps me sane. They keep me on my toes. They are resources for things I know nothing about. They build you up and remind you, that you are worth it and that you deserve the best. They are shoulders to cry on when life gets hard and they remind you when you may be making the same mistake twice.

Hugs!

They give you hugs when you need them and they make you laugh.

Oops! hahaha

I adore my wolf-pack and while it seems stereotypical to “give thanks” this time of year, that is exactly what I want to do.

Thank you ladies for all that you do. Thank you for being a little bit crazy and a lot-a-bit fun. Thank you for being adventure seekers and thank you for supporting my often crazy ideas. Thank you for the hugs, the laughter and the tears. Thank you for listening. Thank you, for being you … my wolf-pack, our wolf-pack.

wolfpack-2

Happy Trails!

(and Happy Thanksgiving!)

~Trailmomma

 

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